If walls could talk, the ones holding Hatty Pedder’s paintings would be the ones you’d want to speak to.
There’s a man in an unforgettable snakeskin jacket. A lone woman in an ornate blue dress stands front and centre, somehow simultaneously standing out and blending into the crowd of bustling party-goers. Groups of people converse under neon palm trees and cartoon stars.
It’s all alive, real and yet surreal in Hatty Pedder’s curious paintings.
From now until April 4, Hatty’s illustrations will be on display at Le Royal Meridien as part of its launch of Le Royal Meridien Hub, a concept intended to transform the traditional lobby into a creative meeting place.
Hatty studied at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London, where she mastered graphic design with a focus on illustration. In 1995, she moved to Dubai with her family, where she began working as a fashion stylist and photographer.
Ten years later, having watched the Dubai art scene flourish with the opening of several galleries and the growing interest in art events, Hatty decided to devote herself full-time to painting and illustrating.
On display are seven paintings from one of Hatty’s recent collections of work depicting events in the UAE.
Hatty explains the inspiration behind these vibrant, illustrative paintings: ‘My work always involves people and everyone in my paintings is real. The scenes and characters are knitted together from pictures I’ve taken at the events.’
The paintings, which are approximately 100x136cm, feature an exaggerated, cartoonish style of drawing reminiscent of fashion sketches. Colourful characters seem to stroll through the scenes, which capture places and events in such detail that you can imagine the hustle and bustle as if you were there.
Amazingly, Hatty achieves this liveliness without adopting a particularly lifelike style. The characters in her paintings are all decorative; they often have long, embellished eyelashes, comically large facial features or exaggerated limbs. Nevertheless, the energetic lines and vibrant colours animate the canvases.
Her artistic process is methodical. She says, ‘First I go to the event.
I walk and look around to get the feel of the venue and the people. I then figure out the best angle to capture the scene.’
Hatty takes as many photographs at an event as she can and later pieces them together to make her compositions, which incorporate collage, photomontage, paint, ink and even some sculptural elements such as jewels or fabric.
When she is making the painting itself, she starts with the structure of the scene: the setting. Later, using all of the photographs she gathered from that particular day, she fills in the details with meticulous precision, taking care to think about the event itself and giving attention to the individuality of each person. She imagines what that person was feeling and attempts to portray that through the use of colour and line.
Another focus of Hatty’s work is animals. In many of her paintings, the viewer will find hidden creatures – such as geckos, butterflies and birds – that are often entirely imagined. She says, whimsically, ‘I think the animals add something, but they aren’t really intentional.’
To the viewer, these animals hide among the vast array of visual treats in each scene. Hatty takes great care to model each person in the painting on someone who was actually there, yet she adds a single imaginary gecko. Easily unnoticed, these out-of-place creatures balance the reality of the setting.
Hatty often performs live drawing sessions. She attends events in cities all over the world and draws the scenes live or has the visitors model for portraits. Watching her sketch an event while it happens is an interesting experience. Hatty’s audience has a chance to see her perspective of the event while it is going on. It’s a unique look into the artist’s mind that shapes the viewer’s perception immediately – allowing them to experience their own surroundings in a new, exciting way.
Hatty’s paintings will be on show at Le Royal Meridien from now until April 4. Limited edition prints are available for purchase, price upon request. Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (02 674 2020).
